Automatic baseball-batting-practice apparatus



Sept.8,1925. w v 1,552,849

' E. LANTZ AUTOMATIC BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE APPARATUS Filed May 19, 1925 2 Sheets-$hat 1 '"l 75 8 Eugene antZ,

attowuq 3 Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,849

E. LANTZ AUTOMATIC BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE APPARATUS Filed May 19, 1925 2"Shoots-She0t 2 gmwnkoz [age/2e Lantz,

Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES EUGENE LAN'IZ, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC BASEBALL-BAT'IING-IPRACTICE APPARATUS.

Application filed May 19, .1925. Serial No. 31,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE LANTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Baseball-Batting-Practice Apparatus, of which the following ,is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic base ball batting practice machine and it has for its object to provide a device of this character constructed to test the skill of the batter and of utility, not alone as a batting practice machine, but as an amusement device in amusement parks and like places.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be more specifically set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a front elevation,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the top of the structure,

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view of the lower or pickup end of the ball elevator, and

Figure 6 is a perspective View of a portion of the pickup elevator.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The particular form of the invention which I have chosen for purposes of illustration comprises a frame consisting of vertical rails 5, inclined rails 6, top platform 7 and bottom frame 8. These parts may be made of any suitable material, either metal or wood, though I prefer to make them of metal and to unite them by removable bolts so that the structure may be readily disassembled when desired, either for purposes of shipment or storage. y

The frame work described, supports rollers 9 and 10 over which a pickup conveyor belt passes. Motion is imparted to the rollers and the pick-up belt from a motor 12 through the medium of a belt 13. The conveyor belt 11 carries a plurality of cups or buckets 14, adapted as they travel around through a depression 15 (see Fig. 5), of bed block 8, to pick up the base balls, indicated at 16 and to elevate them to a position above the platform 7, where they drop on to an inclined trackway 17 and roll toward the outer. end of the platform 7. The outward movement of each ball is interrupted by its contact with a hammer head 18, having a cushion 19 upon its lower face. This hammer head is carried by a lever 20 which is mounted to rock upon a shaft 21. This lever is bifurcated and its separated rear ends lie in the path of movement of contact bars 22 that are carried by the belt 11.. A spring 23 is attached to the lever 20 and to the platform 7 andtends to draw the hammer 18 downwardly. Therefore the action of the bars 22 upon the rear ends of the separated legs 20 of theleverQO elevates the hammer 18 against the tension of spring 23. When the hammer is elevated the ball rolls into a pocket constituted by a pair of spring clips 2% where it rests until the particular bar 22 which has elevated the hammer 18 rides past the arms 20, whereupon thespring o3 acts to cause the hammer 18 to descend and to strike the ball a sharp blow which drives it through the fingers 24 and causes it to fall toward the bed block 8. hen the ball reaches the position indicated at A in Fig. 2 the batter strikes at itor he may strike at it at any point that he sees fit which will test his skill. However, in order to determine the degree of control possessed by the player, I preferably provide a target in the form of a plate indicated at 25, said target being suspended upon a cord or other suitable flexible element indicated: at 26. This target is suspended in front of a net back stop at 27 which is suitably connected to andsupported from the frame work as indicated at the points 28, 29 and 30. Hou ever, it is to be understood that the net may be supported in other ways and from other points.

A back stop for the bat is formed by a pair of belts 31. The upper portions of these belts pass over rollers 32 which are separated by a spacing element 33 and which rollers are mounted upon a rod 34. This rod 18 spring supported by means of springs 35tl1e upper ends of which are connected to tension bolts 36, said bolts being supported.

from brackets 37.

The lower portions of the belt pass over rollers 38 that are supported upon a transverse rod 39. The ends of this rod engage the eyes. of eye bolts 40. The lower ends of these eye bolts are bent inwardly and engage with the members 8.

If the batter fails to hit the ball it drops upon a sand cushion 41 and travels down an inclined runway 42 of bed block 8 to the depression 15 where it is again picked up by the belt 11 and elevated to the hammer 18. The force of the blow delivered by the hammer 18 may be variably determined by the shape of bars 22 or by the position of the arms 2O with respect-'tosaidbars; For example the bars will remain in contact with said arms longer, and raise the hammer higher before its release, if the arms 2O are full length, than if said arms are slightly shorter. Any other relation of theseparts which will secure this result, is within the scope of the invention.

The motor 12 may be disposed Wholly outside of the frameor it may be supported upon a base block 43 carried by side brackets 4A, of such height that the block 43 is spaced far enough above the bed block 8, and its runway, to permit the balls 'to' roll under the block 43. It is apparent that many ways will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the manufacture of amusement devices for carrying out the principles herein illustrated, consequently it is to be'understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims;

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A machineof the character'described ccomprising a ball pick-up mechanism arranged to carry balls to an elevatedposition from which position they fall by gravity,

and a bat stop structure arranged adjacentto and in the rearof the pathof movement of said balls as they fall by gravity.

2. A device of the character describedcomprising a pick-up mechanism adapted to pick up base balls and car ry'them to anelevated position from'which elevated po sition they fall by gravity, a bat stop arranged adjacent the path of travel of? the balls as they fall, and a trackwayfor the balls arranged to conduct the ballsbaekto the pick-up position.

3. A structure as recited in claim 2 wherein the bat stop comprises a pair of spaced yieldingly mounted belts disposed on op" posite sides of the line of tra'vel oftheballs;

4. A device of the character described comprising an-elevating mechanismfor base hammer adapted to dislodge the ball from the detent with a blow, a yieldingly mounted bat stop along the face of which the balls fall by gravity, and a runway upon which the balls fall and which conducts the ball to the pick-up position.

5; A structure asrecited in claim a wherein the bat stop comprises a pair of yieldingly mounted belts;

6. A structure as recited in claim 4; in combination with a target disposed rearwardly of the bat stop. i i

7. A structure as recited in claim- 45in combination with a target disposed rear- Wardly of the bat stop and a back stop disposed rearwardly of the target.

8. A structure as recited in claimawherein the bat stop comprises a pair of spaced inch-like members and a spring mounting for said members.

9. A device of the character described comprising a supporting frame, a travelling pick-up mechanism adapted to elevate base balls to the top of the frame, trackway extending laterally from the upper end of the pick-up mechanism, a yielding detent to which the balls are conducted along said trackway, a pivoted hammer comprising portions terminating adjacent the pick-up mechanism, and members carried by the pickup mechanism and adapted to engage said portions to operate the hammer to elevate the same, a spring for returning thehammer t'ocause it to strike the ball and drive it from the said mechanism, a bed block upon which the balls fall said bed block comprising a runway and a" pocket in the runway in which the lower edge; of

the pick-up mechanism travels.

10. A structure as recited in claim 9 in combination with a pair of y'ieldi'ngly mounted spaced belts constituting a bat stop, the belts being spaced far enough apart to permit the passageof a-ball that is struck between them and a* target dis posed rearwar'dly of said belts.

11. A structureas recited in claim 9 in combinatlon with a bat stop comprising a pair of'belts and yielding mounting for the same,- said belts being disposed upon sides of the line oi travel of the ball with sufficient space between thei'n to permit ofthe passage of the ball therethrough,a-target disposed rearwardly ofthe'bat stopyan'd a backstop supported from the" frame and,

in turn, supporting the target.

In testimony whereof I- aflix my signature EUGENE EAN'PZ'. 

